Jim Mattis

To Marines, love of liberty is not an empty phrase... Rather, it's displayed by blood, sweat, and tears for the fallen.

I have never been bewildered for long in any fight with our enemies - I was Armed with Insight.

Putin goes to bed at night knowing he can break all the rules, and the West will follow all the rules.

Sometimes there are no good guys. There are no bad guys. It seems like everybody is in the middle.

The Corps is in good hands, and it's been a privilege to serve with the Leathernecks. Now it's time to go.

If you can't eat it, shoot it, or wear it, don't bring it.

I like the enemy knowing there are a few guys like me around.

I've lived a very colorful life, and I've said some things, But not once have I taken them back, and I've never apologized for them - and I won't.

I was a Marine for 41 years, and it wasn't long enough. We enjoy putting on that uniform.

I don't write policy for my government.

Read about history, and you become aware that nothing starts with us.

Notifying the enemy in advance of our withdrawal dates or reassuring the enemy that we will not use certain capabilities like our ground forces should be avoided.

There is no God-given right to victory on the battlefield. You win that through the skill and the devotion, the valor and the ferocity of your troops.

I have never thought it necessary to patronize the American people.

It is not scientifically possible to accurately predict the outcome of an action. To suggest otherwise runs contrary to historical experience and the nature of war.

I can't tell you the number of times I looked down at what was going on on the ground, or I was engaged in a fight somewhere, and I knew within a couple of minutes how I was going to screw up the enemy. And I knew it because I'd done so much reading.

It's a lot easier to stay idealistic if you don't sign two to five next-of-kin letters every day.

What is the one country in the Middle East that has not been attacked by ISIS? One. That is Iran. That is more than happenstance, I'm sure.

There are going to be good days and bad days. Bottom line.

There's no way that that our military power will not erode if a robust American economic revival is not part of the cards.